Share your support for the city budget priorities in AWC’s letter to budget leaders

Shortly after the state’s next revenue forecast on March 20, the House and Senate will release their proposed budgets for the 2023-05 biennium. That means discussions by budget leaders are taking place now.

AWC recently sent a letter to budget leaders asking for funding on city priorities, which include the following:

• Full funding of $400 million for the Public Works Assistance Account, as provided in the Governor’s budget and honoring the sunset of diverted revenues scheduled to occur this year and return them back to the account.
• Funding for cities in response to the Blake decision.
• Public safety funding $20 million in funding for cities to help offset the costs of new criminal justice legislation and funding for alternative response programs.
• Funding for the Criminal Justice Training Commission basic law enforcement academy (BLEA).
• Affordable housing and homelessness funding. This is poised to be a big year for our collective efforts around addressing homelessness and tackling the challenge of providing needed market rate and affordable housing. AWC is actively engaged in conversations, and we need to match progress on those issues with the resources needed to build affordable housing.
• Support for a systems approach to correct fish-blocking culverts.
• GMA and comprehensive planning support.
• Maintained investment in local government transportation systems. 
• Funding for the Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC) at the level provided in the Governor’s budget.
• Funding for community-based access to behavioral health resources.

Read AWC’s letter and share these budget priorities with your legislators. Ask them to talk to their budget leadership about the importance of funding these priorities.